AIO (all in one) was the first style I made -one with soaker part on top, and one - sewn in inside:
From those two, I prefer the one with soaker hidden inside for two reasons - first it is much faster to sew (and easier for the sewing machine as less layers have to be sewn together at the time), and second, they seem last longer (leakage wise). Possibly, because stitches, that hold soaker to the winged part, go all the way through it. Of course, I could make soaker part a bit shorter, and sew it on before sewing winged parts together, but I just don't see the point. AIO is faster to sew and works good. For these two I used flannel for both winged parts (front and back), and 2 layers of flannel and one layer of felted cashmere sweater for the soaker part. I used buttons for my pads, because I do not have snap press, but buttons allow them to be dried in the dryer too as snaps can get fried(I had that experience.)Several pointers:
1.) Use polyester thread, because cotton has potential to leak through seams more.
2.) Sew the soaker to the top part only, avoid seams in the lower part.
3.) You can quilt the soaker to the top as I did in a simple wave like pattern, or just attach it from the sides. I think quilting allows blood to go through easier instead of pooling on top. Hmm, that makes me think, that cotton thread for this part might be an advantage.
4.) Prewash your fabrics on warm or hot, if possible, to avoid shrinkage later, after pad is made.
5.) Prewash pads before first use as well, as this helps to seal the seams a bit.
